First thing – I am a Bihari and I am extremely proud of it. Second thing – I am not dumb, unaware, strange or uneducated.
Lately I have been very disturbed.
I feel angry, bitter, irritated, disturbed, restless and pathetic. Generally I am not a person who can be easily offended and exasperated. But this time I am. My observation is that on television, films, cyber humour etc., everywhere and everyone is portraying my state like a backward, foolish, strange, uneducated place. Along with Bihar, UP and Jharkhand are targeted in the same way. On television, be it daily soaps, comedy shows or reality shows; everywhere the characters from my state are depicted in the worst taste. There are TV soaps that portray families from Bihar in a ridiculously mocking ways. On reality TV and comedy shows too my state and the people are made instruments of amusement. It is sad. It is hurting. I don’t deny that my regional jargon is weird and conditionally funny maybe. Also there are many uneducated people, trapped in very old customs, leading a lifestyle highly contrasting that of the bigger cities. But this is not a subject to joke my dear folks. It is a sad and upsetting situation. These places too are a part of our nation. If many regions of these states are still submerged in the darkness of illiteracy, unawareness and callowness, it is a thought provoking and disturbing scenario. And who will bring a change other than you? Yes you, the people who are mocking it. You may belong to some other state, but aren’t you also a part of those three states? Aren’t you a part of India?
A few years back I was living in one of Rajasthan’s small towns.Three out of my four neighbours there were married with children and were hardly twenty five years of age. I never mocked them. I rather felt sympathetic towards their situation. Those young girls really had wanted to study and make an independent living, but they could not. I met a team there that worked for women empowerment. I was at school then and therefore could not join the team. But I had made up my mind to surely go back someday and work for the betterment for the women of Rajasthan. I feel inspired, motivated and dutiful. I don’t find it amusing at all and neither do I feel like it is not my place so why shall I bother?
What I want to state here is that the problems may vary but the sense of duty should not. My point is, let us not separate ourselves from these places, rather make efforts to change them positively. It will be a time-taking process. But the development is essential for the overall development of India, and no one can deny this fact. Secondly, please understand, there are villages and small towns in every state and most of them are alike. They all have some indigenous jargon, strange superstitions, outdated practices and customs, along with the problems of illiteracy and unawareness.
Rather than mocking these situations, take charge, research, read, understand and please behave like an Indian. Please show equal sensitivity, concern and regard for the situation of my state, your state and our country and don’t mock the poor situation.